Premium Gas

[Hodado]

How important is it to use premium gas in the FJR? When I was in the showroom gauking at an 08 the salesman mentioned premium gas only.I'm still trying to decide if this bike is for me.Appreciate the input

Thanks

 

[Spook]

How important is it to use premium gas in the FJR? When I was in the showroom gauking at an 08 the salesman mentioned premium gas only.I'm still trying to decide if this bike is for me.Appreciate the inputThanks

I would find a new salesman. This one did not know a thing about the FJR. 87 octain and 10% or less ethinal.

 

[SkooterG]

Owners manual states 86 octane or higher. With a few exceptions, the FJR runs fine on 87 octane.

The salesman is a ******* moron, and you can tell him I said that.

 

[Hodado]

How important is it to use premium gas in the FJR? When I was in the showroom gauking at an 08 the salesman mentioned premium gas only.I'm still trying to decide if this bike is for me.Appreciate the inputThanks

I would find a new salesman. This one did not know a thing about the FJR. 87 octain and 10% or less ethinal.

That's what I wondered;some of these multi brand dealerships change people like I change my shorts.When ever I've been in that place I get the"right out of the brochure message" seems I need to shop around yet.I 've learned more here

 

[Knifemaker]

Owners manual states 86 octane or higher. With a few exceptions, the FJR runs fine on 87 octane.
The salesman is a ******* moron, and you can tell him I said that.

Yep, on both counts. I wonder how many sales are lost because of this one little screw up by the idiots on the showroom floor?

I got the same comment when I bought my Vulcan years back..("She needs to run premium gas")

And I have heard of others saying the same thing about various model bikes that also run fine on the (manual reccomended) regular gas.

KM

 

[Rondo777]

Those sales people are a joke. I actually had one that told me he knew nothing about the bike when I was buying mine! I thanked him, and bought it after doing my own research.

 

[Bokerfork]

Head guy in shop agreed that the manual states regular gas but insisted that, at least in California, because of our crappy gas, I should run premium. Depending on price, weight of my wallet, and destination, I generally try to follow his advice.

Though not conclusive, I do seem to get better mileage with the good stuff. Besides with an average 5 gallon fill up, it can't cost but another 50 cents or so. The other thing to consider is that name brand gas such as Chevron and Shell, only put their Techron type additives in the premium. If you believe the hype, this means better management of engine deposits.

The way I see it, the FJR is a high performance motor. It deserves a little treat.

And no, I don't work for the oil companies

 

[Low Level FJR Pilot]

Head guy in shop agreed that the manual states regular gas but insisted that, at least in California, because of our crappy gas, I should run premium.

Last I looked, unless you are buying at some place that has crappy tanks, the gas is all the same and usually hauled in by the same trucking company that hauls for the big guys. California has so many additives in the gas, I don't see how it could be deemed crappy at most stations. Old wives tale.

 

[eeksnake]

...I actually had one that told me he knew nothing about the bike when I was buying mine!

An HONEST salesman? Dude! That's a keeper!!!

 

[NMdcporter]

How important is it to use premium gas in the FJR? When I was in the showroom gauking at an 08 the salesman mentioned premium gas only.I'm still trying to decide if this bike is for me.Appreciate the inputThanks

I would find a new salesman. This one did not know a thing about the FJR. 87 octain and 10% or less ethinal.

I have never heard the 10% or less ethinal? When I review my 07 manual it said 86 or higher but I don't remember seeing the 10% or less ethinal.

Dave

 

[Spook]

From what I can find out you have to have an engine designed for anything higher.

 

[Knifemaker]

......Though not conclusive, I do seem to get better mileage with the good stuff.

...The way I see it, the FJR is a high performance motor. It deserves a little treat.

And no, I don't work for the oil companies

A common misconception that Premium gas is the "good stuff". Guess it is that word "premium"..high test gas does not burn as well or as fast as the other grades. It is used in machines that have a problem with knocking or preignition. That is it. All gas has additives, especially nowadays.

High performance motor? Sure, but as far as gasoline goes, you have to be over at least 11.5 : 1 compression where premium gas might be needed. High compression engines require premium grades of gas, not neccessarily High "perfomance" ones...

And you may not work for an oil company, but you have fallen for their propaganda..

KM

 

[bikerkash]

If your looking for a sport touring bike the FJR is as good as it gets. It does everything very well and it has been around for a while now and there is very little bad said about this bike. It runs fine on 87 or 93.

 

[Crash Cash]

salesman mentioned premium gas only

I have NEVER, in any business or trade, found a salesman who didn't talk out his *** so you can't separate truth from fiction. And I've found damn few that knew anything about the product they were selling. I'd still have fingers left over after counting them. Some salesmen (like Best Buy, Radio Shack, etc) are so damn obnoxious they've talked me OUT of spending money.

 

[Crash Cash]

I have never heard the 10% or less ethinal? When I review my 07 manual it said 86 or higher but I don't remember seeing the 10% or less ethinal.

Page 3-14 of mine: "Gasohol containing ethanol can be used if the ethanol content does not exceed 10%. Gasohol containing methanol is not recommended by Yamaha because it can cause damage to the fuel system"

 

[jekirby]

......Though not conclusive, I do seem to get better mileage with the good stuff.

...The way I see it, the FJR is a high performance motor. It deserves a little treat.

And no, I don't work for the oil companies

A common misconception that Premium gas is the "good stuff". Guess it is that word "premium"..high test gas does not burn as well or as fast as the other grades. It is used in machines that have a problem with knocking or preignition. That is it. All gas has additives, especially nowadays.

High performance motor? Sure, but as far as gasoline goes, you have to be over at least 11.5 : 1 compression where premium gas might be needed. High compression engines require premium grades of gas, not neccessarily High "perfomance" ones...

And you may not work for an oil company, but you have fallen for their propaganda..

KM

I'm glad you said something. I have always understood that in engines not specifically designed for premium (high compression) the fuel does not totally burn up, causing problems with the catalyst, various sensors and such. Very few engines need premium.

 

[FJRottie]

Octane rating is simply based on the fuel's knock tendancy (also called pre-ignition or pressure induced self-ignition).

Knock tendancy is based on free radicals present in the fuel prior to ignition.

Octane is not a measure of power or energy but a measure of burn. Higher octanes can burn slower but may not.

Octane actually makes the fuel harder to ignite, hence it's use in very high performance engines. These engines make their power from the compression, not the octane in the fuel. An engine's power output is a funtion of the pressure created in the combustion chamber above the piston. The more compression, the higher the pressure at the moment of ignition and the more "push" down on the piston.

A fuel that does not knock (89 octane for the FJR) will produce the same power as higher octanes.

If your FJR knocks with 89, go up to 91. Other than that, it matters not. Use the lowest octane that does not knock.

Racing Gasoline and Alcohol (Methanol or Ethanol) is different and is really only needed when detonation problems are evident. Their energies are not really different from gas. 10% ethanol in pump gas is fine.

 

[Hodado]

wow thanks for all the input on this.now all I need to do is figure out whether I buy new or used.I've looked at an 06 for 9500 to 10700 but if I can buy new old stock for almost the same money;why bother?

 

[FJRBluesman]

Head guy in shop agreed that the manual states regular gas but insisted that, at least in California, because of our crappy gas, I should run premium.

Last I looked, unless you are buying at some place that has crappy tanks, the gas is all the same and usually hauled in by the same trucking company that hauls for the big guys. California has so many additives in the gas, I don't see how it could be deemed crappy at most stations. Old wives tale.

Right you are Dan. Our octane is like any others, 86 is 86. Again folks, gas is a commodity, as in it's all the bloody same regardless, of course except octane rating.

It cracks me up when I do track days and guys take their street bikes and buy the $15/gallon racing gas. What for? The bike runs excellent on Super, that's all I ever used without issue, and racing gas really doesn't do that much more for you on a street bike. Now if your bike was a full blown race bike, and you had higher compression pistons, cams, etc, you'd need race gas so the bike would run properly, and you really needed that extra edge, then yes, racing gas is worth every penny. Other wise your wasting your money. Ditto with regular Vs premium.

Other examples are states with higher altitudes don't need the higher octane then states or areas in lower elevations. So there regular might be 82 octane or less. You don't need high octane with less air.

I encountered this many years ago in Utah when filling up my car and I noticed the regular said about 80 octane! High octane was bout 84 or 86. That may have changed now I'm not sure. It's really all relative. If the thing runs well and doesn't ping, you're good to go. Others may say different, pile on.